Fractured and Breaking
by AvidEssayist
Summary: My first Touken tokyo ghoul story! My view of the relationship between Touka and Kaneki going from Tokyo Ghoul all the way through Tokyo Ghoul:Re and Beyond! Please Review and thank you for reading!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi all, InnumerableWritings here with just a quick note before the story. This is my first attempt at a story and I just want to say that my schedule can be quite busy at times, and so I might not update as often as I should. But I promise that I will update this, and it will be completed! Lastly, please review, as it helps me get better as a writer.**

Kaneki yawned for the umpteenth time that day. Business was slow at Anteiku today, with even Enji and Irimi struggling to find something to do during the morning shift. Enji had distracted himself by repeating some hyperbolic overly-dramatic story about the adventures of the infamous "Devil Ape" ghoul, and Irimi absentmindedly cleaning cups as she half-listened to Enji's ridiculous story. Kaneki looked out the windows towards the city streets, Nishiki would arrive (most likely with Kimi on his arm) to relieve him of his duties and allow him to, "go to school." Kaneki ran his hand through his messy white hair and ignored the ever present voice in his mind that screamed for him to snap his fingers and eat the people walking by the shop. He pulled his hair a bit, "Wait, damn you." he thought, his agreement with The Manager was that as soon as his morning shift ended he would meet with Banjou and the rest. Together they would raid another ghoul restaurant, and he would recuperate until his night shift. In that time the voice would be sated until the next time it felt hungry for the power ghoul and human flesh held.

Kaneki released his hair from his grasp and exhaled. His thoughts began to stray from his lunch plans to a certain blue haired girl who had held most of his attention recently. Touka Kirishima had started out as the girl who hated him, cursed his existence and wanted nothing to do with him. She had eventually become his training partner, and after being his savior after his experience with Yamori (a finger snap followed even thinking about that name) he had saved her from her own brother and another ghoul named Noro. Kaneki smiled, after saving her the two had begun to see more of one another, studying, training, and hunting together whenever they had the chance. The two had spent so much time together, that even little Hinami had begun joking that "Big Brother and Big Sister would be married within the next two months." Kaneki let a small smile break through for a moment as he thought about Touka and Hinami. Those two really were his only family left in this world. Hearing the front door of the shop open, he saw a tired Nishiki and a chipper Kimi enter the shop, he smiled at Kimi when she ran to him with yet another compliment on how white hair was a good look for him, and breezed by Nishiki when the latter confirmed Kaneki's suspicions that he was in a rather bad pre-coffee mood. Kaneki said his goodbyes to Hinami, Enji, and Irimi, all of whom cheerily wished him good luck, but gave him sad smiles as they figured out where he was going. Kaneki ignored it. If it was to protect them, than anything he did would be ok….. Right?

They arrived at the restaurant, Touka had texted Kaneki for studying help and he told her he'd be over as soon as possible

 **This was all okay, right?**

Tsukiyama introduced him as the "scrapper" for todays meal, the poor ghouls had no idea that _they_ would be that meal.

 **This is alright.**

Kaneki's kagune lashed through the crowd as soon as Tsukiyama announced that they were the meal. The ghouls couldn't run as the two cut them down.

 **This is okay. This is for everyone.**

The exits were covered by Banjou and his men, Kaneki let out a chilling laugh as he cut down ghoul after ghoul, only pausing momentarily as he sampled each fresh corpse.

 **This is to keep everyone safe. To keep Hide safe. To keep** _ **Touka**_ **safe.**

Tsukiyama licked the blood from his kagune as he pulled it out of another screaming ghoul. "While you don't exactly taste all that good, you'll be tres bien for making Kaneki stronger" was all he said as he finished off yet another ghoul

 **I will protect them. All of them.**

The ghouls were finished, the meal was over, and after changing into normal clothes the ghouls dispersed, agreeing on the same time next week. Kaneki headed over to Touka's, trying his best to pretend he hadn't just murdered and eaten an entire building filled with ghouls.

He knocked on the door and she opened it, Kaneki was taken aback at how every time he saw her he could swear she looked even more beautiful than the last time. But now was _**not the time for that**_ as the voice in his head helpfully reminded him. He cleared his throat.

"H-hey, Touka-chan, what do you need help with?"

 **AND CHAPTER ONE DONE! Please leave a review if you enjoyed, or if you didn't. But please only constructive criticism!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello and Welcome to Chapter 2! I'm trying to do one a day (hopefully I can keep this schedule) Sorry if Touka is a bit OOC**

Touka sighed, nothing had been the same since they had rescued Kaneki from the clutches of Aogiri and that sadistic Yamori _bastard._ For starters his hair had turned from its original black color into a snow white, that while it suited him, was a constant reminder of what he had to go through at the hands of those _fucking bastards_. His nails had turned a black that, while the envy of many a teenage girls, was a yet another reminder of whatever he had gone through.

Touka never said it aloud, but she could see Kaneki's inner turmoil. She was more attuned to the former wimp, but still current idiots feelings. Whether she liked it or not she could _feel_ the demons clawing at his mind, wanting his body for all sorts of horrible things. It hurt her to see him like that, the idiot she was so used to seeing as a happy innocent boy, the one she hated seeing as a weakling half-ghoul. To see him crumbling from the inside, his morals being twisted as he continued to run around with Tsukiyama, that sick Gourmet, and the rest of his unsettling gang.

She had to text him. She just had to. She knew where he was going between his shifts, everyone knew. She knew it wouldn't stop him, asking for help on a test that, thanks to Kaneki's earlier tutoring, there was no chance she would fail. She couldn't explain the pang in her chest that she felt whenever she thought of Kaneki's predicament, she couldn't explain the genuinely happy smile that appeared every time she thought of the old Kaneki, or the new more melancholic one that appeared when she saw the new him. Her heart ached as she remembered him breaking 103 of Ayato's bones, him massacring Aogiri ghouls, eating them, relishing in every moment of the bloodshed. She almost vomited as she remembered the glint in that one ghoul eye of his, the genuine enjoyment of murder and everything the old Kaneki would have hated.

Touka put her head in her hands, she loved that idiot. Everything about him. From his caring for Hinami, his helping her study, his warmth, his smile, even his _morality_ which before was just a burden now keeps her grounded when _she_ had to be the moral one and stop him from losing himself to the growing persistent darkness that threatened to swallow him whole. From hungrily eyeing Yoriko, to running to her home and crying as he had considered eating Hide again.

Even through all that, Touka smiled as she thought more, he had managed to put others happiness over his own. Making others happier while he fell into the depths of despair and madness. It was for that reason that Touka had decided to be there for Kaneki. To make sure that black haired boy didn't disappear, to make sure that wouldn't happen. She would do anything. Absolutely anything.

To protect the one she loves. She'd do anything.

Touka smiled a sad smile as she heard a knock on the door. This time, she would help Kaneki, and show him he didn't need that damn Gourmet Tsukiyama.

"H-Hey Touka-chan, what do you need help with?"

That white haired idiot. _He_ was the one that needed the help, not her.

But if he really wanted to know….

A smile broke out on her face, "Just come inside you idiot, I'll make some coffee."

And he smiled, and she saw a small bit of dried blood at the corner of his mouth.

And he smiled

And she broke inside

 **CHAPTER 2 DONE! WOOOOOOOO PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

Kaneki and Touka stared at the paper in front of them. He had been over for the last two hours, and the two had barely gotten started on Touka's inability to do math when she turned to him.

"-ow long-Kaneki?"

Kaneki's head shot up upon hearing his name, he whipped his head up too fast to look at Touka and the two ended up with their faces in far too close proximity. Kaneki managed to stammer out a small, "W-what was that Touka-chan?"

Touka was too taken aback by his closeness to even respond, she turned beet red and sat there. She stared at Kaneki's face, his pure olivine eyes that's warmth had slowly been drained by the hardships of ghoul life, his smile that had become sadder as he lost more and more of his old life. Touka was torn. On one hand she wanted nothing more than to help, to grab him and hold him and comfort him. On the other hand she wanted nothing more than to punch him until that "tragic hero" look was wiped off his shitty face.

Touka took a deep breath, "I-I said, if it takes you this long, how long is this one going to take me?" Kaneki stopped, looked down at the problem, back at Touka, and back at the problem. He held his chin for a moment, "I think you can get this one."

Touka looked at him for a second, and then began to get mad. "Bakaneki!" She yelled as she proceeded to punch him. In an instant Kaneki's eyes changed from the genuine sweet embarrassed boy with a crush to a genuine killer. He calmly caught Touka's fist and proceeded to slam her against the wall of her room.

He stared at her, her beautiful purple eyes, her blue hair, her voice, her attitude, hell, even her _Kagune_ was beautiful.

She looked at him, his white hair, his troubled eyes, his sad smiles, he was beautiful in every way she was not

Before either could comprehend what they were doing Kaneki's lips were on hers, and Touka kissed back ferociously.

When the two finally pulled away for air, and Kaneki stared fearfully into Touka's eyes, and Touka stared back into his. Neither broke one another's gaze, their red faces, the heat from their blushes and heavy breathing permeated the air in the room. It was Touka who spoke first, "I know what you're doing out there with Tsukiyama and Banjou..." She began to play with Kaneki's snow white hair, "I wish you had taken me with you instead of Hinami, I wish you had never been taken by Yamori, I wish you had stayed the shitty old Kaneki that I grew to care for." Kaneki smiled, "Im sorry Touka-chan, Im sorry for changing, and I'm sorry for running off on my own. But its all for everyone at Anteiku, I'll do whatever I can to protect all of you, especially you Touka-chan."

Touka sighed, and as Kaneki left at the end of the day. She knew he meant every word, and she'd be there when he needed it. "Because I love you Kaneki." she thought before she returned to her home.

Kaneki looked back as Touka went back inside, his face heated up looking at her retreating figure


	4. Chapter 4

SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT, COLLEGE STUFF IS STRESSFUL!

Kaneki and Touka's relationship changed since their little study date. Even if Kaneki still met with Tsukiyama and Banjou on a regular basis to "get stronger" as he put it, Touka could see that he was also changing his schedule to fit her in more often. Kaneki had asked Yoshimura to switch with Nishiki, so that he and Touka would have the same shifts and therefore the same off time. He had also begun showing more affection towards her outside of study dates and had even begun to take her out more often.

Touka blushed a little thinking of their more recent dates, he had taken her to the movies, to a bookstore (something that had been nearly unbearable to Touka but seeing Kaneki's face light up like that was something she wouldn't trade for the world,) and occasionally they would just go out for coffee at other stores. Seeing Kaneki smile with her, laugh and forget all about this "getting stronger" nonsense was something Touka found to be a rare occurrence that only really came out around her.

Despite all of this happiness, Touka at the current moment had never been more annoyed at the shitty white haired ghoul. She had been dragged along for what she thought would be semi-sweet but still kind of boring bookstore date, only to find out this would be the date from hell. As soon as the two walked into the store they were assaulted with cries of "Kaneki!" as Banjou and his shitty subordinates made their way over to the younger couple. Kaneki was visibly taken aback, the bookstore was filled with humans, and yet his group had decided to make an appearance? For what reason? Was something going on?

Tsukiyama only looked at Kaneki from an aisle of books, as Kaneki looked over at him, Tsukiyama only gave a quick nod and gestured to his watch. Some higher ups from a ghoul restaurant would be having a meeting soon, they suspected Big Madame to be among them. If they could get their hands on Big Madame, they would have a pipeline straight to Aogiri. Kaneki's grip on Touka's hand slackened, if only for a second, but it was long enough for Touka to notice. Kaneki wanted Aogiri, he wanted the heads of Kanou, Tatara, Eto, and the One-Eyed King laid in front of him, only then would he stop this madness about power. Touka knew that, she knew that better than anyone. That's why she had to grip his hand more tightly, force him to remember the reason they had come to that bookstore. Olivine eyes met cerulean, and Kaneki smiled a genuine smile at her.

Kaneki politely pushed past Banjou, his demeanor changing in the blink of an eye, so quickly did it change that anyone less attuned to Kaneki would never have noticed the shift.

To Banjou and his group, it was a sudden shift from the carefree boy on a date to the cold ghoul Kaneki could be.

To Tsukiyama it was proof of growth and maturation. Proof Kaneki could and would accomplish his goals, with the right sword of course.

To Touka it was enough for her to grab Kaneki by the hand and lead him from the bookstore, she lead him as far away as she could from those people, she kept dragging him by the hand and hoping he couldn't see the tears threatening to spill over from her eyes.

Kaneki did see the tears, the hurt in her eyes as his priorities shifted, even the faintest glint of a smile at her initial reaction to him blowing off Banjou, he saw it all. Kaneki stopped letting Touka pull him around, he managed to tug enough on her arm that she ended up falling back into his, in an instant he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head in the crook of her neck. "I love you Touk-chan."

Touka froze up. She just blushed and sighed, "Okay shitty Kaneki" he pecked her on the cheek and the two walked home hand in hand, meanwhile from a rooftop Ayato watched, his kakugan activated, Eto sat beside him, idly playing with her bandage wrapping.

Eto looked at Ayato, "Big Madame will pay well to cover this. All you need to do is eliminate one of them and the other will crumble. Can you do it?"

Ayato looked back at her, "I'll do it."


End file.
